Dreading Water
by RemiNyao
Summary: When the beach is far, and the heat is near, what can you do? Certainly not sit in an apartment without air conditioning. The aquarium can be as comfortable as a refrigerator! Just remember: Don't feed the animals. :AkuRoku: :Oneshot: :AU:


**Welcome to another block of RANDOM ONE-SHOTS. This is Remi here, presenting to you a new creation dedicated to my beloved Ame-chan. We gave one another prompts, and it's time to get rollin'.**

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"Hooooot…"

_Shut _up_, my god._

"It's toooo hooooooot."

_I swear to god, if he doesn't shut up, I'll kill him._

"Roooooxaaaaaaas."

"What."

"It's _hot_."

"…"

Roxas was ready to explode. He _hated_ it when the summer weather got hot and humid, and this was even more horrifying than usual. Normally, on days like this, he and his brothers would stay inside and keep cool while the pedestrians baked. The problem with today was that they were _trying_ to do that and _failing_. Whatever he and/or his brothers had done in the last few days, he was already sorry for.

Greatly, greatly sorry for.

You see, whatever God was in charge of dealing with the punishments for mortals was feeling rather touchy the night before. Or perhaps they'd been bored, and working with Satan to find some tempting fun. Whatever their reasoning, the AC for their apartment was out of commission, and it was the hottest day on record for the early summer. To top it off, the machinery had gone out in a storm the night before, so the god-forsaken sun was putting all that moisture to good, sweat-inducing use. _No one_ would be seen outside today, for any reason, unless it involved a job or summer schooling. Godspeed to those poor few.

"Roxas! Sora! Off your butts!"

The blond and his brunet little brother sat up in their seats, having been splayed across the couch and recliner. Sora was the first to speak up, always having more energy than the older two.

"Why? Demyx, it's one-ten out there, and I can't see a straight line out there through all that humidity!"

Demyx crossed his arms, tapping his foot. As fun-loving and wonderful a brother the young man was, he still prided in the role of substitute father, since their parents had disappeared years before. Demyx was sixteen then. Sora had been nine, and Roxas eleven. Now, Demyx was twenty-two, and they were fifteen and seventeen.

"C'mon, you two. Lazing around in the oven of an apartment isn't gonna help you cool off any."

"Neither is _moving_," Roxas replied wryly.

"Sora, Roxas. We're going _out_. Come on, it'll be fun~" Demyx encouraged, giving them a trademark smile.

Sora looked unconvinced. "But it's so _hot!_ And humid! We'll die out there!"

"Not if you're surrounded by water," The eldest pointed out with one finger raised.

Roxas sat up straight. "You driving us all the way to the beach?"

He gave a short wink, and put his hands behind him. "Not quite."

~-~-~-~-~

"The _aquarium?_ You're making us spend hours out of the day surrounded by fish in cool water instead of letting _us_ get in?"

The building stood tall in front of them. It was large, with a second floor and multiple exhibits inside. It was a common tourist attraction and favorite place to go with families during the week, but today? No one wanted to go far enough. There were only a few people, and had Roxas been paying attention to the vehicles, he might have noticed the beat-up red Camaro he was too familiar with parked outside a few spaces away from where they were. Too bad he was too busy complaining about their destination.

"Isn't the aquarium kind of… for kids, Demyx?" Sora asked, looking slightly disappointed. Unfortunately, he and Roxas were still in the stage that meant they were trying their best to look like adults, instead of doing the 'childish' things that were actually way more fun than they'd ever admit.

"Honestly… I'd rather be in school," Roxas muttered. They were… fish. Maybe they were pretty colors, or awesome shapes, or ate other fish in front of them. But they were still fish. Who _cared?_ They hadn't been out of the air conditioned car for a minute yet and the blond was sweating away. He wasn't surprised to find Sora in the same predicament, but he _was_ shocked that Demyx didn't seem fazed.

"It'll be fun," Their brother encouraged, stepping toward the door. "Besides, it's free admission on Tuesdays at this time of day, and the building's air conditio—"

Before he could finish his sentence, Demyx found that he was no longer leading the group. In a blink of an eye, the two boys were scrambling to get inside, racing for the cool air they desired. The young man could only jog after his little brothers, following them inside the building with a sigh and a shake of his head.

Inside, the aquarium had black walls and generally sleek designs, high ceilings and wide walkways between the habitats for the fish. There were several pathways through the tanks; some ending in small places to sit that seemed neglected, probably because of how narrow they were. The place was mostly empty, only a few people wandering around and pointing in awe at the several rare species of fish they'd never seen before.

It was dark, it was empty, and best of all? It was a refrigerator compared to outside.

Sora stepped forward, arms out to his sides and head tossed back. There was a loud, content sigh before he spoke. "Man, I never thought I'd love being surrounded by uncooked fish this much."

"The heat's doing funny things to your head, Sora, better watch out," Roxas warned with a slight grin. His brother just laughed a little. He took Roxas' jokes pretty well, most of the time, though he got flustered or defensive when others would try. The blond approached him, put an arm around his shoulder, and started dragging him off toward one of the tanks to look inside.

Once Demyx caught up with them, the next half hour would be spent watching all the fish, Demyx pointing out some odd things about some of the species, Roxas adding in his piece when there was something he knew, and Sora making a few remarks about how one fish kept giving another fish a 'look' and that his days were probably numbered. This time spent together was what Roxas valued most. When he really thought about it, he could be anywhere, in any situation; as long as his brothers were there to see them all through it, he would be fine. They were his world.

Well, _most_ of it. You see, there was this guy… He was always around—Roxas couldn't seem to get rid of him. Even when he wasn't actually there, Roxas could see those poisonous green eyes and that wild red hair. He could feel that leering stare and uncatchable presence. He always was just barely unattainable… That drove him crazy. The guy in general drove him crazy in almost every possible way. He stole Roxas' sanity, his patience, his nerve, his heart, his breath. And all the while, he didn't even know it because Roxas just wouldn't let it show. He was often told to go find a girlfriend or something, but the blond would reply with a swift, snarky rejection that always seemed to make the guy smile.

The way Roxas figured, if he had his brothers, and he had this wonderful, terrible best friend of his, he had a life he could live proudly. Even if they all three did stupid things sometimes, like burn a week's worth of groceries in an attempt at a new recipe, or turn the bed sheets pink because of a red shirt, or try to feed the sharks.

… what.

As Sora and Demyx stepped to the next tank, Roxas was frozen in place, staring up at the top of the tank currently inhabited by a special tiger shark species. Leaning over the side of the tank from the feeding landing, dangling a fresh, bloody steak over the water, was a young man, no more than eighteen. He was tall, lean, very slightly tanned, had a sickle of a grin on his face, wild red hair, and… poisonous green eyes that he could see from here. His heart simply stopped, as did his mind, and they only started working again when he saw an angry security guard walking up to him and shouting, which caught the entirety of the area's attention. The young man dropped the steak in, and the security guard started chewing him out. He responded with sarcasm, and the guard didn't take well to it. He reached for him and tried to grab him. The teenager didn't seem to fond of that idea, but when he tried to take a step back, his foot hit the packaging from the steak and he slipped—right over the edge of the tank and into it.

A woman screamed. Sora covered his mouth. Demyx went to reach for Roxas, but it was too late, and the blond was tearing off to find the way up to the landing. He was making for the maintenance stairwell, with the security guard trying to help the young man in the water. However, it was getting apparent, fast, that the redhead was _not_ a talented swimmer, especially in deep water. The security guard grabbed for a pole to put in and keep him steady, and when the teen grabbed it, he was clinging to it, sending out a string of muttered curses. Another guard joined the first to try and help him, but the redhead, for some reason, wouldn't let go of the pole. The men yelled for him to, but he didn't give a response. His prior thrashing had caught the attention of the sharks, and Roxas was noticing this as he found the landing. One of them bumped the redhead's leg.

He froze completely, eyes shut tight and hands gripping the pole until he was almost sure it would bend under his fingers.

The guards began yelling for him again, but were soon cut off by the blond shoving in between them. Before they could protest, he was halfway over the side with both arms out toward him.

"Axel!"

The redhead's eyes snapped open, staring at those hands, then up at his face. "… Rox? What're you—"

His leg was brushed again, and he jerked a little. Roxas' face turned to panic.

"Axel, take my hands."

He didn't respond vocally, but he hesitantly started to release the pole with one hand to start reaching out.

"Come on, Axel, reach further! It's me or the sharks, and right now you'd better be choosing me," Roxas urged, reaching out as far as he could without falling. Their fingertips brushed, sparking Axel to let go of the pole and lunge for Roxas, grabbing his arms. The blond pulled with all of his strength until Axel's shoulders were over the edge. The redhead scrambled to get up the rest of the way, and with one more heave, he was sent out of the tank and on top of Roxas.

There was a moment of stunned silence from the guards and everyone around them… and then, a rush of murmurs from the patrons. Roxas' hands were planted firmly on Axel's upper arms, where the redhead's were on the landing's grating, on either side of Roxas' shoulders. He was dripping wet, expression blank with his eyes closed. A guard reached down to put a hand on his shoulder.

"Sir, I'm gonna have to ask you to leave. We'll be sure to pay for any damages done if there were an—"

"Don't bother." Axel's voice was low and almost biting. He started to get up, and Roxas let him. He stood, and stalked off from the landing, brushing shoulders with Demyx as he and Sora came rushing to Roxas.

Demyx reached down and grabbed Roxas' arm, Sora getting the other and the both of them pulling their brother up. Roxas shook himself a little bit, rubbing one arm where Axel had gripped it. "Roxas, are you…?"

"M'fine, Dem. Don't worry…" He looked fine, and he felt fine. But he was worried. He'd never seen Axel looking scared like that before—his expression, it hadn't been blank. In actuality, it had been fear. He knew about the fear of water, and the inability to swim, but he'd never been a witness to a reaction. The worst part, he thought, was feeling him shaking once he was out of the water.

Roxas stepped away from his brothers, headed toward the stairwell. Sora was about to try to stop him when Demyx put his hand out. He looked at him, shook his head, then turned to have a chat with the guards about the situation. He knew better than to try to stop Roxas from going to see Axel. Even if Sora didn't realize it yet, Demyx had noticed that his brother was taking that step further in life, going out to find himself something akin to romance, even if it was one-sided. He had to know what that was like. If he didn't, he would never grow on his own, away from the family.

Roxas wasn't thinking about growing. He was thinking that his best friend was not okay, and that he didn't want him to be on his own. He stared down at the floor as he went, following the trail of water right outside the building. The blast of heat wasn't appreciated, but the fact that he was wet, thanks to Axel, made it slightly more bearable. He spotted the other teen sitting in the shade of one of the trees decorating the outside of the building and made his way over, standing behind him and… just watching him for a moment, silent.

Then, he sat down, and followed up the action by putting a hand on Axel's shoulder, rubbing it slightly. "… It's over."

"I know." He knew, but he was still shaking.

"That was a really stupid idea."

"… I'm aware of that."

"Why would you even get that close to water?" Roxas asked, leaning to try and catch his expression. Axel responded by lifting his hands and leaning over, putting his face in them.

"I'm fine with water as long as I'm not _in it_," He retorted, voice a little bitter.

"Well why did you try to get away from the guard?"

One hand dropped. Axel's eyes were burning holes into the ground. "Maybe because I don't like being _touched_. Think of that?"

Roxas flinched, his hand drawing off of Axel's shoulder and finding the ground. The heat was already stifling, it just seemed ten times worse with Axel snapping at him. "… Sorry." Normally, he would have bitten back. He would have argued. But… it hurt, this time. Usually it just angered him… But with being as worried as he was, it just hurt to be the victim of a hit like that.

Roxas rose to his feet. "I'll leave you alone, then." He went back to the entrance of the building, slipping inside and going to find one of those alcoves without people. He knew his brothers wouldn't leave without him. At least he could hide here for a while. He climbed up onto the bench, sitting with his back against the wall and his knees to his chest, feet on the bench in front of him. He closed his eyes, trying not to look like his feelings were hurt. It was such a stupid idea to him, that just a few words could make him upset like this. But they had…

Caught up in his brooding, Roxas didn't notice when another body appeared to occupy the other side of the bench. In fact, he didn't even look up until there was a warm hand on his knee. His eyes opened, eyebrows furrowing.

"You're not supposed to be in here…"

Axel shrugged. "That's never stopped me from being where I want to be before."

"This place is nothing but water. Why would you want to be here?" Roxas argued, looking rather unhappy with him.

"… Because I owe someone in here quite a lot right now."

"Yeah? Like what?" The blond's voice was rather blank, eyes dulled. He didn't look convinced.

Axel sighed. "Like an apology and a thank you. More than a thank you. A favor, at least."

Roxas stared at him for a moment, then finally looked away, seeming no less upset. "You don't owe me anything. I'm just… glad you're not dead or something," He muttered, hiding his initial thought of the word 'favor'. Still, though, he couldn't help but let his mind wander. There were plenty of things he'd ask him for if he wasn't so sure he'd hate him for them.

A chuckle and the sound of shifting from across the bench caught his attention again, and Roxas looked back just in time to get to see Axel inches away from his face and closing that distance with the brushing of their lips, a moment of applied pressure, and then the break. He stared at him, eyes wide and face red. Had he just…? "… A-Axel?"

"You know, I have no idea how oblivious I must be not to have noticed sooner." The redhead was grinning.

"What are you… talking about?" Roxas asked quietly, eyebrows furrowing again and looking indignant.

Axel raised a finger, ticking it back and forth in front of him. "You forget that I'm here too often. Every time you space out when you're around me?" He tapped Roxas' cheek. "Ya get a little pink."

That 'a little pink' turned 'a lot red'. "So… you, uh..."

"Completely understand the fact that you're into me?"

"… yeah."

"Yeah."

"… So do you still think you owe me?" Roxas looked off to the side, trying not to seem too interested in the subject he was daring to bring up with him. He leaned back a bit when Axel leaned over, putting his arms on Roxas' knees.

"Yeah. I think I do. I might have been eaten if you hadn't been there."

Roxas was silent for a moment, staring at him and thinking on whether or not he really wanted to try this. Then again, he had a chance and Axel didn't seem like he'd mind it too terribly much.

"… Do it again?" The blond requested, leaning in a little bit.

Axel's eyebrows raised, and that grin just spread wider. "You perverted thing, you."

Roxas' entire face burst into a wonderful red color, and he looked away. "J-jerk."

"Hey now. You can't ask for something and then make it difficult," Axel stated, ignoring the insult and reaching up to touch his cheek and make him look at him. "If you really want this… You have to let me know. I don't kiss friends twice, and I don't kiss strangers at all. What do you want to be?"

Roxas just watched him for the duration of the silence that followed, wherein he tried to figure out exactly how to express his feelings toward Axel, and said Axel waited for the response perhaps slightly more inwardly impatiently than he would ever admit. But Roxas was coming to the realization, quickly, that there was no point in trying to think this through. Thinking it through didn't save Axel.

And so, he resolved to change his position, shifting and pushing Axel til he was sitting upright. He climbed over his legs and sat down in his lap, hands on his shoulders. "I'm pretty sure I'd have to be stupid to pass up this opportunity."

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure you would, too." Axel slid his hands around to lace together at the small of Roxas' back. "So what's it gonna be?"

"Whatever position gets to do this any time."

"Then I guess I'll have to squeeze you into that top spot, huh?" Axel leaned in close to him, smirking only inches from his lips.

"Yeah... I guess so."

And Roxas closed the distance.

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**Okay so really, I was given this prompt like a month ago. Lmfao. SO IT'S DONE NOW. Happy AkuRoku day, you guys. I need my nap. Ame, I hope you love this story. It's just for you.**

**Peace,**

**~Remi**


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